Thread by @__ThoughtPolice

An aspect of #TTRPG theory and modeling not examined enough: The role of dismantling party balancing and roles in some modern game design in reactions to it. It started with late 80s thru early 90s designs where individualized concepts were emphasized. 1/1

World of Darkness is the iconic example. A lot of build flexibility and individual concept focused creation. BUT they still fell into an RPG design mode where the games still necessitated a balance of roles in a lot of practical play. More flexibility to it, but still there. 2/2

You still needed your bruiser, your face, etc. Probably most prominently in Werewolf where a mediocre build can mean being useless or getting smeared. But still, WoD and it's era brethren were a step away from the class system. BUT the class system is only a blunt expression. 3/3

Even without DnD classes, a TTRPG can still very much need build tuning and party roles. Games that came to prominence in the early to late 2000s managed to shift things quite notably away from classical party balancing and character building. 4/4

The way they are built encourages individualized concepts in more fundamental ways than the 90s-early 00s style stack and sprawl of options. Even with fairly small sheets and limited character builds, TRPG PCs are rarely built with "party balance" or optimization in mind. 5/5

Even in a lot of class, playbook, and splat modern games, the idea of party balance takes a much less prominent part except for those that are intentionally retro or more traditional in TTRPG design. An interesting aspect of that is how both group and individual play evolved. 6/6

The classic idea of RPG party balance is not only having your bases covered but the idea that, say, having a 2nd face with slightly less good socials is pointless. The Face is just gonna do it. MAYBE a *backup* is nice? Modern design bulldozes that in various ways. 7/7

Some TTRPGs have more effective group mechanics. Some have more extended pacing and/or social tracking that makes it useful or time-appropriate to have multiple good voices each making their own argument. 8/8

Some TTRPGs make all rolls have interesting outcomes, so parallel or collab attempts have meaning. And so on. What they share is some guidance and/or mechanism that eliminates the "wasted" role problem. Also, the more open-ended and sandboxy way they are constructed matters. 9/9

That aspect also goes back to late 80s-early 90s designs, but has been substantially refined since. The need for a given role or balance starts vanishes as the action becomes more open-ended and player-driven. A group without a bruiser can avoid battle plots. 10/10

A group without a face can minimize their political and social engagement. And so on. Essentially, the more player-focused and emergent game aesthetic results in PC groups that can ignore tuning and balance in character creation and pursue stories that fit their talents. 11/11

We so often get lost in the idea of DnD style classes that we miss it is not a hard either-or but instead a continuous spectrum. Class-based systems are just one end, followed by say playbook and splat systems, and on. 12/12

There is also the role of the way a TTRPG build handles rolls and group dynamics, as well as the openness of play and degree to which is driven by player choices. All together, it represents a significant divide in tastes and play styles. We should unpack it more. 13/13

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